WESTFIELD, Ind. – Everyone who's coached Michael Pittman Jr. has had to gently remind the hyper-competitive wide receiver of something, especially the heat of midsummer training camp practices.
"Pitt, we need you to be smart," they'll tell him.
"I'm gonna be smart," Pittman says, "but I'm not gonna let anything slide."
Welcome to the fourth year of Colts training camp with Pittman, the 6-foot-4, 223-pound dude who's not afraid to punch you in the mouth – literally. Every team wants physicality and competition in their training camp; few players embody that mentality more than Pittman.
"I want that smoke," wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne said. "I want all that in my room and hopefully that same competitive nature can kind of rub off on everybody."
It's grown ever since his first camp, the COVID-altered one in 2020 where he was mostly nervous and unsettled – feelings most rookies experience through the grind and pressure of their initial preseason. Pittman is now looked to as a leader in the Colts' wide receiver room – he's a veteran now, with 46 games, 227 catches and 2,510 receiving yards to his name.
So Pittman knows how he sets the tone every time he steps on the field will trickle down to the rest of the Colts' wide receivers – and the guys going up against them.
"I'm a guy that if I let somebody get away with something on me, they're gonna go do it to Alec (Pierce) or they're gonna go do it to Ashton (Dulin) and Josh (Downs)," Pittman said in an interview on the Official Colts Podcast this week. "So even if it seems small, I'm going to do something back just because that's how it goes. I am seen as that vet, and if they think they could do it to me then they'll definitely do it to my other wideouts. So that's kind of my way of protecting them is not letting anything slide — whether it's small, whether it's big, I'm gonna react."
The Colts' 2022 season wore on Pittman, who described the trudge to a 4-12-1 record as the lowest point he's had playing football. General manager Chris Ballard alluded to some frustrating, emotional moments for Pittman – which, ultimately, stemmed for how badly Pittman wants to compete.
"I don't mind guys that are emotional and care because they want to win and guys that want the ball," Ballard said. "That stuff doesn't bother me. I would rather have a guy like Pitt who wants it and wants to win and does all the little things competitively right instead of a guy that just accepts what his role is. Having him, his presence, his competitive nature, the way he works ... he's a big piece of what we do."
But the way Pittman leads has grown beyond getting in someone's face to defend his teammates or wearing his emotions on his sleeve.
This summer, Pittman spearheaded a Miami get-together with Colts quarterbacks Sam Ehlinger, Gardner Minshew and Anthony Richardson along with, as he estimated, about 95 percent of the team's skill position players. For about four hours every morning, Pittman and his teammates went through walkthroughs, film study and caught passes at the University of Miami, getting valuable time-on-task ahead of the start of training camp. The group re-convened in the evening for dinner, building togetherness and trust with the goal of everyone hitting the ground running in late July.
"When you've got guys that take it upon themselves to say, 'Hey let's do this. We don't need coaches around to go get better,'" head coach Shane Steichen said. "They had a chance to go in and I guess got a meeting room and they walked through and they did classroom work, and I think when you do that it builds camaraderie and obviously it gets guys on the same page so you can start training camp fast."
The way Pittman leads on and off the field has made him one of the team's go-to guys in setting a tone for the 2023 season.
Sometimes, setting that tone will mean being the most physical guy on the field – especially during joint practices with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles in August. Maybe he'll cross a line if he feels like it needs to be crossed. But if he does, the Colts will remind him to not go too far – while also appreciating the competitive edge he carries with him at all times.
"I haven't had that talk (about being smart) with anybody yet," Pittman said, "But I only think that's because Shane hasn't seen it yet."
View the best images as players hit the field for the first day of 2023 Colts Training Camp presented by Koorsen Fire & Security.

3 K Lucas Havrisik
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

8 P Rigoberto Sanchez
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

46 LS Luke Rhodes
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

8 P Rigoberto Sanchez, 46 LS Luke Rhodes, 7 K Matt Gay
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

2 WR Zavier Scott
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

42 CB Marcel Dabo
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

44 LB Zaire Franklin
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

51 DE Kwity Paye
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

29 CB JuJu Brents, 20 S Nick Cross,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

25 CB Rodney Thomas II,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

53 LB Shaquille Leonard,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

81 TE Mo Alie-Cox,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

4 QB Sam Ehlinger, 10 QB Gardner Minshew,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

10 QB Gardner Minshew,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

David Thornton Director of Player Engagement
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

66 G Emil Ekiyor
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

10 QB Gardner Minshew,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

Head Coach Shane Steichen
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

9 WR Breshad Perriman
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

84 WR Ethan Fernea
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

8 WR Juwann Winfree
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

14 WR Alec Pierce
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

10 QB Gardner Minshew
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

23 CB Kenny Moore II
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

1 WR Josh Downs
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

Head Coach Shane Steichen
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

11 WR Michael Pittman Jr.
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

11 WR Michael Pittman Jr.
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

15 WR Vyncint Smith
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

4 QB Sam Ehlinger
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

1 WR Josh Downs
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

1 WR Josh Downs
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

1 WR Josh Downs
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

90 DT Grover Stewart
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

51 DE Kwity Paye
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

56 C/G Quenton Nelson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

44 LB Zaire Franklin
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

55 DE Khalid Kareem
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

10 QB Gardner Minshew
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

25 CB Rodney Thomas II, 23 CB Kenny Moore II , 39 CB Darrell Baker Jr.
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

63 G Danny Pinter , 64 G Arlington Hambright , 76 OT Jake Witt \, 5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

92 DE Genard Avery
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

12 WR Malik Turner, 4 QB Sam Ehlinger
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

92 DE Genard Avery,
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

23 CB Kenny Moore II
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

39 CB Darrell Baker Jr.
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

44 LB Zaire Franklin
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

33 CB Dallis Flowers
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

45 LB E.J. Speed
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

33 CB Dallis Flowers
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

23 CB Kenny Moore II
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

27 CB Kevin Toliver II
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

48 S Aaron Maddox
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

58 LB Donavan Mutin
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

53 LB Shaquille Leonard, 56 C/G Quenton Nelson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

21 RB Zack Moss
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

25 CB Rodney Thomas II, 21 RB Zack Moss
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

Chris Ballard General Manager
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

53 LB Shaquille Leonard, 35 RB Deon Jackson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

35 RB Deon Jackson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

20 S Nick Cross
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

97 DE Al-Quadin Muhammad
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

10 QB Gardner Minshew , 26 RB Evan Hull
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

36 S Henry Black
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

35 S Michael Tutsie
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

2 WR Zavier Scott
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

35 S Michael Tutsie
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

99 DT DeForest Buckner
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

17 WR Mike Strachan
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

10 QB Gardner Minshew
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

5 QB Anthony Richardson
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

23 CB Kenny Moore II
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

3 WR Johnny King
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

4 QB Sam Ehlinger
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park

4 QB Sam Ehlinger
2023 Colts Training Camp - Grand Park